Is it a heart problem, thyroid, or panic attack?

[kbennj]

I am 35 yr old female with a family history of heart diease and type 2 diabetes and thyroid issues...
I do not want to sound like a hypochondriac but I am very worried about my heart health.  I experienced a near fainting spell with a very rapid heart beat, tingling hands and feet and numbness in my mouth area.  My hands and feet were like blocks of ice and very sweaty.  This came on very suddenly.  I called my Dr and they had me wear a 24 hr holter monitor which unfortunately during I did not have any symptoms.  But The following night I had issues in the evening and even woke up out of a sound sleep at 2 a.m. with severe heart palpitations.  Then i get really cold and shiver violently.  I had my husband take me to the Er where they monitored me for about 4 hrs.  They did blood work and an EKG.  They said everything looked fine and told me ot follow up with my regular Dr.  I did and they called for a nuclear treadmill stress test another EKG and an Echo.  I just did  those on Friday and am waiting on the results.  I did ask my Dr what the result of the thyroid function test was in comparison to my other past tests since 2005.  I was shocked to see my TSH went from .75 in 2005 to 1.01 in Aug of 2008 to 2.9 in Jan of 2009!  When i asked about the drastic change they just said "oh it's within the normal range"  upon researching it, I found most general docs use the .05 to 5.0 range, while endocrinologists use a .03 to 3.0 scale, in which case I would be almost there,
I keep having these spells and the ER Dr told me to take zanax every 6 hrs.  I still feel the tightness in my chest , and the weird faint feeling and now am scared I have a serious heart problem.  I am also worried about taking zanax all weekend and becoming dependent on them from taking them so often.  I am sick of feeling groggy and out of it and still worried about my heart.  My regular Dr has called for a CT scan of my brain, and maybe a tilt table test after that.  I had an attack during the picture portion of the stress test and my heart rate went over 146!  I was just laying there on the table when it happened.  I felt strange when i had to put my hands above my head for the test.  I am trying to stay calm until we know anything, but was wondering if anyone else has experienced this and if my next step should be to call a cardiologist or an endocrinologist for possible thyroid issues?  Thanks for any advice...kbennj

[sick and tired 47]

Hi! I think I saw you on another post. I have had similar symptoms as you. I never had anxiety or heart issues til I had thyroid lobectomy- then POW! Check your Free T3, Free T4... my TSH was within normal range but my free ts were really low normal or below normal. I am started on synthyroid and it is a long road.... but also I have tachycardia, chest pain, ect... and after being told it was all anxiety I was diagnosed with PSVT. The doctors will not speculate if it is related to thyroid issues... but why now, after 46 years of life.... hmmm.
   Try to get complete cardiac workup and see a electrophysicist cardiologist... he diagnosed me when no one ( including regular cardio) did.  I am now trying beta blockers... but they make me so tired and foggy.. almost like the thyroid does. But at least for now my heart is not racing!!!  Good luck!!

[Teressa083]

Well my echo cardio results come back today and everything is normal.  I still have a  resting heart rate throughout the day of 120 to 130.  Still don't know what is causing this and feel very frustrated and tired.  any ideas.

Teressa

[nervouslady]

My sugar was 103, doc told me not to worry about that.  I don't have any history of diabetes in my family, however.

I do not take SSRIs - I have tried several, they not only didn't help my anxiety, they made me feel much worse.  So I stick to what works for me - xanax.  Some docs don't like the idea of being on xanax permanently, but I found one who understands that it's what works, so that's what we use.  
I know what you mean about not being taken seriously because of the anxiety issues.  Anything that comes up for me that sounds like an offshoot of anxiety gets dismissed as anxiety.  But the weird thing about anxiety is that sometimes you don't realize yourself just how much the anxiety affects you.  I know that I don't sometimes.  The mind can really do a number on the body.   Anxiety causes changes in the body that can really make us feel awful.   I can't think of anything that feels worse than a panic attack.  Maybe childbirth?  And even that is a close call, LOL.  

I have hyperventilated so badly that my hands not only went numb but curled up into a ball where I couldn't open my fist because of lack of oxygen.  Scary - but it was all due to anxiety.  Take the xanax, don't worry right now about withdrawal or anything like that.  Do what you need to do to feel better and don't judge it.  Your nurse was right - head off the anxiety before it gets too bad.  Once it gets into panic mode you kind of have to ride it out.  If you start feeling the least bit anxious, take some xanax,  wait 20 minutes, if you still feel anxious, take another.   I'd take xanax prior to your appointment.  YOu can take meds when you fast, just take them with a tiny bit of water.  No need to make yourself go through a bad experience.  Allow yourself the meds and to be comfortable.  Remember, the more good experiences you have, the easier it will be do handle uncomfy situations (without the xanax).
Good luck, hugs to you.  I know how hard this is.

[kbennj]

Also, I do not have diabetes, but a family history of it.  Although on a couple of blood tests recently, my glucose levels were 104 and 117 both fasting.  My dad is a diabetic.  I have been watching my sugars over the years too.  I think maybe i should go to an endocrinologist for both thyroid and glucose panels.  ???

[kbennj]

I had all my blood work checked in the ER, and supposedly everything was normal.  But like I said, the thyroid was up, still within their range, but up considerably.   My mother in law had a low potassium level recently, and she complained of jaw pain too.

[kbennj]

Hi, thank you for replying to my post, as I have been eagerly awaiting some advice...hahah
it is so hard to be heard when a doctor sees anxiety on the record you know? Well I have to admit, the episodes have been cut down with taking the zanax.  Although, the ER doctor told me to take them every 6 hrs, sometimes if I find myself getting nervous I have bumped it up to 4 or 5.  The nurse said I have to stay ahead of it- she said she suffers from panic attacks to and said that is the key.  I really wasn't happy about having to live on them all weekend or for ever how many days it takes to figure out why they are suddenly coming on.  I have ot go get a CT scan tomorrow and I am petrified I will have another attack while taking the test like I did during the stress test.  I think you have to fast for 4 hours  before taking the CT.  I probably can't take one for it....this is an aweful affliction to have.  Do you take any antidepressants or anyhting else besides zanax to help ?  I have taken some SSRI 's in the past, but don't like the side effects i get so i always took myself off.  
Like I said, my thyroid was wacked a little somehting has to be causing these all of a sudden.  Thanks so much for the reassurance.  Hearing form people with similar issues do make you feel a lot better.   Thank you.

[nervouslady]

Hi there,
your symptoms sound like panic - the hands and feet going numb sound like  hyperventilation - cold, clammy hands, feet, rapid heart rate - the whole thing!  I get them, especially when at the doctor because doctors freak me out and I hate going there.  

that being said, these symptoms can also be caused by blood sugar levels being out of whack - I know you said you have diabetes - is your blood sugar okay when these are going on?  

I have all sorts of arrhythmia, too - they are scary - but I've also had lots of legitimate health problems and I have to say that I have developed a really bad association with doctors offices and hospitals.  I cannot relax when I am there, I have to take a couple Xanax just to get through.

I've been taking xanax for years now,  though I'm on a low dose it is not as addictive as I have read (and I'm very sensitive to meds).  I can take it as needed and don't feel any withdrawal.  I think you  have to take a decent amount regularly to feel withdrawal.  One weekend (or even one week) is not enough to experience withdrawal.  If you are nervous about it, you can take what you need now to get through the anxiety, and then taper down when you feel better.  If you take 3 a day, taper down to 2 a day for a week, then 1 a day, then a half, etc.  If the Xanax helps, then it's likely anxiety.  I was afraid to take too much for fear of addiction/withdrawal and so never took enough to be effective.  Recently I got so frustrated I said 'to heck with it' and took 2 1/2 and that seemed to do the trick.  2 1/2 for me is 1.25 mg dose, not much.

[Teressa083]

Thank you so much.  Next week the Dr want to do a echo.  

[EnchantedPetal]

I had the same symtoms for 20 years before it was diagnoised as PSVT, do a search. You need to ask for a 30 day monitior, that is what caught mine. I had surgery in 2006 to correct it and it changed my life. They told me it was stress and gave me xanax as well, it can get worse, the year before my surgery I was in the ER so many times, they had to stop and restart my heart several times, please see a cardiologist, it's a heart defect, not just stress, and it's very treatable.

[Teressa083]

I have the same problem my heart rate went up to 140.  The dr put me on a beta blocker that make me feel so tired and even more dizzy.  Next week they are going to check my potasuim  level and also calsuim level to see if that is normal.  This can cause a rapid heart beat as well.  What is your average heart rate when you relax?